This invention is directed to an apparatus for storing and supplying parallel lead circuit elements and, in particular, to an apparatus for storing and supplying parallel lead circuit elements carried on an elongated web and stored in appropriate cases to apparatus for processing and securing the parallel lead electronic circuit elements to a printed circuit board.
Heretofore, machinery for processing and securing parallel lead electronic circuit elements to a printed circuit board have taken on various forms. A particularly efficient type of apparatus for processing and securing parallel lead electronic circuit elements to a printed circuit board is shown and described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 672,944, filed on Apr. 2, 1976 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,054,988, and assigned to the same Assignee as the instant invention. Such apparatus for processing and securing parallel lead electronic circuit elements to a print circuit board effect storage of the parallel lead circuit elements on elongated webs, which webs are wound upon reels. The reels are adapted to be disposed in a supply mechanism to effect parallel delivery of a plurality of webs to appropriate processing and securing mechanisms so that the respective parallel lead circuit elements are automatically secured to a printed circuit board. It is noted however that the reels are shipped and stored in cases having the circuit elements wound thereon. These cases require the removal of the reels therefrom and the placement of the reels on the supply mechanism, and therefore have been found to be less than completely satisfactory. Accordingly, an apparatus for storing and supplying parallel lead electronic circuit elements carried on elongated webs to permit same to be readily supplied to machinery for processing and securing same to a printed circuit board is desired.